Zeb, short for Zebulon, drove home from his weekly prayer time. This week, the meeting at the Pro-Life Pregnancy Center was intense. There were five strong prayer warriors this week, and the warfare was intense. Zeb lived for these meetings and had even scheduled a short, but intense, time of warfare prayer every day.

Zeb loved praying against the demons that he and his pastor, an acknowledged prophet, sensed were the powers and principalities over their city.

Zeb sincerely wanted to be like his pastor. So, much of his time was spent reading anything about prophecy and the great prophets of the Bible. But his wife, Genine, knew Zeb’s life revolved around prayer. She knew that he lived to fight against the darkness. This drive had resulted from a couple of things. They were now empty-nesters, and their only son was a prodigal.

Bradley grew up in the church and was as intense about prayer as his father. He was now a student at the local state college. He wasn’t living at home, though, ever since the angry confrontation he had with his father. Bradley told his father he no longer believed in Jesus.

Zeb had exploded. He had been worried about some of the professors at the college. His prayer group and church labeled the professors as radically anti-Christian. They had shamed Bradley away from Christ by convincing him that he was silly and delusional to compare Jesus to science’s world view.

Bradley’s anger silenced Zeb, who stood there with tears in his eyes as Bradley accused him of hypocrisy. He said, “Dad, I never see God answer any of your prayers! No one ever gets healed. Why did God not answer our prayers for Aunt Jean? Hundreds of people were praying for her. No miracles, no answers, no real power. Was God even listening, Dad?”

Zeb couldn’t answer. His emotions were frozen, and when Zeb couldn’t answer or wouldn’t, Bradley stormed out of the house and moved out the next day.

Zeb tried to settle his emotions, but couldn’t. He got in his car and drove to his prayer rock, where he would come to pray when things became unbearable.

Zeb climbed up on the flat-topped rock and began to cry out to God loudly. He accused God of everything Bradley had mentioned. His emotions exploded towards God, and he slid into a rage, shouting and wailing at God for not answering him. He knew Bradley was being honest about their family, and he had also developed doubts about his prayers.

The rage lasted only until Zeb’s voice began to go hoarse, and he realized how exhausted he was. He climbed down from the rock and walked to his car. He collapsed into the bucket seat as two strong arms gently wrapped around his shoulders and began to hug him. Zeb initially felt terrific, but the hug kept getting heavier. He could breathe, but moving was impossible. The heaviness increased to the point he felt himself sinking into the seat.

Zeb had never felt anything like this heaviness. He didn’t remember ever experiencing anything supernatural before. But, he instinctively realized that God’s Holiness had settled on him as a way to remind Zeb Who he was yelling at.

The Holiness lasted a long time, and Zeb would have begun to worry if he hadn’t fallen asleep.

It was night outside when a voice woke Zeb up, speaking a foreign language. He was startled, thinking someone was in the car, only to realize he was the one speaking that language. Instantly, he realized, “Oh NO! I’m speaking in tongues! How is that possible? Tongues don’t exist now. That only happened when the Apostles were around!”

Then another voice spoke up and said, “What do you think is best to pursue, the best to seek? Is it the gifts of the Spirit or ME?

Zeb tried to look behind him, but unable to turn his head, slowly Zeb answered, “You?”

“Yes, you are correct. Why do you think that is, Zeb?”

Zeb had to think about whether this was a trick question. “It means that my relationship with you is more important than the gifts you can give me?”

“Zeb, I can do everything those gifts can accomplish through you. But I give you those gifts to teach you about yourself and draw you closer to me. I would rather you spend more time with me than seeking those gifts. Trust me to give you the best gifts for you and your circumstances.”

Zeb wiped the tears from his eyes and asked, “But, why haven’t you answered any of my prayers, Lord?”

“Zeb, I have. But some of those answers have their own perfect timing. Don’t worry about Bradley; I have that taken care of in my own timing. Just know that all the gifts you are pursuing come from the time spent with me. I love you, Zeb. I want you to want me like a small child loves his Father. I have so much planned for you, Bradley, and your Genine. Trust me. I will never fail you.”

“Okay, Lord. I never thought you would answer me the way I lost my temper.” Zeb finally could turn his head and looked into the back seat of the car in time to catch a lingering glow as it rapidly disappeared.

It wasn’t until a few days later, when he was at the Wednesday worship and prayer meeting, that the first surprise happened. Zeb and Genine were sitting in the back row of their large church when Genine stopped singing and looked up at Zeb.

Zeb was deeply engrossed in worship, unaware that he was singing loudly in tongues. Everyone was looking at him.